Apocalyptic Rhymes is the second album from Septagon, a band that came out of nowhere and surprised me with their debut, Deadhead Syndicate, in 2016. Like its predecessor, Apocalyptic Rhymes,didn't strike a chord with me right away. Unlike Syndicate, Rhymes isn't really growing on me with repeated listens. On the surface, it is full of the same thrashy power metal as the debut, but Rhymes has a very dry, artificial sound, notably the drums which might be real but man, they sound programmed at times. The lyrics are almost ridiculously socio-political this time around, culminating the ranting "P.O.T.U.S.A." You hate Trump, I get it, but how many times do you need to shout, "fuck off and die!"? The vocal lines are clunky, and the songs feel stitched together from disparate pieces and it feels like the band has to actively push to get through them. There are some decent riffs and solos and I love Markus Becker's voice but, as a whole, Apocalyptic Rhymes never gels. After the triumph of Deadhead Syndicate, this album is a letdown from Septagon.